Aere Perennius
by peraspera
Summary: Months after seeing what an extraordinary child Renesmee is, Aro decides that a hybrid is exactly what the Volturi needs. He decides that if Alec fathers the child, then the child will surely have a unique gift as well. But will Alec follow through if it means possibly killing his blood singer? Alec/OC
1. Chapter 1

"I believe that we need a hybrid child."

Aro's words were so sudden, so out of place that it threw everyone off. Marcus and Cauis looked at him, curious, while Jane, Felix, Alec, and Demetri stared at him in complete and utter disbelief at his words.

"Do you mean a child like the one the Cullens have?" Cauis demanded, looking at Aro with calculating red eyes, still not quite understanding why his brother would even want to propose such a notion.

"Of course I'm talking about Renesmee." Aro responded as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "What other sort of hybrid would I be speaking of, brother?"

It was only months after their encounter with the Cullens and they were seated in the throne room, waiting for Heidi to bring them their meals. "I've thought about this for quite some time, actually." He continued on. "After I saw the extraordinary gift that Renesmee possessed, I knew that it was exactly the kind of new member we need in the Volturi."

"But wouldn't that mean two new members?" Marcus spoke up, earning both Aro's and Caius' attention. "The mother of the child as well as the child itself."

"We'll turn the mother." Aro said after a pause, articulating his words carefully. "But after the child is born. If she shows that she has a gift, she will stay. If not, she will be executed on the spot."

Cauis turned back to Aro. "Where will we get the human girl from, and who will be the father of this child?"

"We will pick her from the group that Heidi is bringing us. I wish to finish this process as quickly as possible." He paused. "The father of the child is simple. Alec."

Said vampire looked towards Aro upon hearing his name. Aro's lips spread into a grin. "Seeing as you're one of our most gifted Guard members, you will be the father of this child."

Alec didn't protest. He only nodded and looked over towards the door, signaling that Heidi was about to enter with their meal.

The doors open and tourists rushed in, excitedly talking and taking pictures of Volterra. "Welcome, welcome." Aro greeted, standing once Heidi had shut the doors behind the tourists.

Suddenly, the room went quiet. The group had apparently realized that the people surrounding them had red eyes, and knew that there was something wrong. "Alec," Aro said in a voice that almost sounded like singing, looking over at the young vampire. "You may take your pick before we start." He clapped once and looked cheerily back over to the group. "If you all will stay still for a bit, Alec will be performing a quick search, and then we can get back to the finale of the tour."

A smell hit Alec's nose and he perked up, his eyes widening as he looked around the room, trying to locate the scent. He spotted a woman through the crowd, red hair falling in loose curls to her waist, a small, button nose along with stormy grey eyes staring back at him. Suddenly, he was by her side, forgetting that he should control his speed so he wouldn't frighten her. Her eyes widened in horror and she stepped back, but not before Alec grabbed her arm and whispered one word, one single word, that made her blood run cold.

"_Mine_."


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N_:** Thanks so much for the 3 reviews already! You guys are awesome, and the reviews are really what keeps me writing. :) Now, onto the story!

* * *

A screamed rippled through the air, tearing through the thick blanket of silence like a thousand knives. Suddenly, everyone else was screaming as the vampires made quick work of the group. Somewhere in the struggle, Alec released the red haired girl, knowing that he had to feed in order to keep himself in check around her. If he hadn't fed, he knew that he'd end up killing her.

He'd kill himself if he ever caused her death.

It was strange, becoming so worried about a mere human. It was almost sickening to Alec, but part of him knew not to deny the ties that were binding him to her. The ties that bound him to the woman before him were ties that were all too familiar to him. He'd witnessed them first hand when he encountered Edward and Bella, his blood singer, his La Tua Cantante.

Soon, blood littered the expensive marble flooring of the Throne Room. The vampires in said room looked beyond satisfied. Aro sat back in his seat, folding one leg over the other as he looked around. Suddenly, his milky red eyes landd on a woman who was cowering in the corner, one with long waves of scarlett hair. "Alec, please do bring her here. I wish to meet her."

Alec obliged, walking to the woman. He looked down at her, noticing that she was visibly shaking, obviously frightened by the scene before her. Someone came from behind him and began to clean up the mess. He didn't turn, only kept his gaze on her. She slowly looked up, fear evident in her eyes.

"Get away from me." She hissed, tears growing in the corners of her eyes. "You... You monster!" She spat, breaking down into sobs that shook her body.

Alec immediately kneeled down beside her, taking her face in his hands. "Do you want to die?" He demanded in a harsh whisper.

She was frozen in fear, her tears temporarily forgotten. She nodded her head, unable to form coherent sentences. Alec took in her scent; a mixture of lilacs, honey, and roses. It was completely irresistable, and although he'd just fed, his mouth watered at the prospect of tasting her blood. He focused, knowing that there were more important matters at hand. "Then I'd suggest that you stop your crying already. If Aro sees that you're too weak, he'll dispose of you immediately. If you value your life, calm down, take my hand, and remain strong."

His voice was like honey to her, giving her a soothing effect with each word that came out of his pink, perfect lips. She nodded numbly, the tears having long ago subsided. She looked down at his outstretched hand and set hers in his slowly, feeling how cold he was. But it wasn't a bad type of cold. No, it was a good feeling. It calmed her, putting out an aching heat that she didn't know had been laying dormant underneath her skin. She allowed him to pull her to her feet, looking at the awe on his face as he looked down at their hands. So he must have felt it too, she decided. She wasn't sure how she felt about that.

Alec took her to Aro, who watched the both of them, excitement clear on his face by the way his eyes crinkled in the corners with delight, his lips spreading into a full on grin. "Hello, my dear. Welcome to Volterra. My name is Aro. These two are Caius and Marcus, and those three over there are Demetri, Felix, and Jane." Aro paused. "Now, what is your name, my sweet?"

Stormy grey eyes looked up at him through long dark lashes, fear evident in her eyes. But Aro saw something else that made him curious, something that he didn't even think she knew about yet.

He saw affection. Bedgrudging affection, of course, but it was affection nonetheless, and he had more than a hunch about who it was aimed towards.

"June." She replied, her voice hesitant and shaky. Who could blame her? She was in a room filled with people she just saw drinking the blood of the humans she'd entered with. Who was to say that they weren't going to do the same thing to her next? "June Carter." She added. In retrospect, she realized that they most likely didn't care what her last name was. They most likely just wanted a name to call her to get her attention, and chances were slim that they'd be using her entire name to address her each and every time that they spoke to her.

"Well, June," Aro was peppy and happy, sickly so, as his milky red eyes gazed at her, showing that he was clearly excited by something. "We've got some wonderful plans for you. We're not going to kill you, I promise, my dear. In fact, we're going to give you something precious. We're going to be giving you a family."

June frowned, not liking the direction in which this was currently heading. "I-I already have a family." She replied, her body visibly shaking in fear. She took a step back. "I d-don't need another one."

"No, I don't mean parents and grandparents and all of those other useless things that you humans seem to be concerned with." Aro replied, waving his hand dismissively, as if the mere notion of him handing her parents was idiotic to him. June didn't doubt that was the case. "I'll be giving you a mate, my dear, and a child."

Her blood ran cold. Aro couldn't mean what she thought that he meant. "A-Adoption?" She squeaked, though she knew that it wasn't the case. Why would they keep her around, just to help her adopt a child? That wouldn't make any sense.

Aro laughed, though the sound had to be anything but that. Laughs were warm and indicated happiness. His laugh made her stomach churn uncomfortably. "No, no, my dear. You'll be impregnated with a child. Our dear, _dear _Alec has volunteered himself to do the honors. After all, he is going to be your mate."

There was only one word in her mind at the moment, but it was echoing over and over again, reverberating off of the walls of her mind. 'No.' She stepped back once more, but she stepped back right into a man. Turning sharply to face him, she recognized him as Felix, one of the men that Aro had introduced earlier. June turned around, looking at Aro, who grinned at her. "Alec," He spoke, though he didn't take his eyes off of her. "You may take your mate with you up to your room. I expect for the proper progress to be made by tomorrow morning."

Alec didn't reply, he only crossed the room and held out his hand for June to take. Surprising himself and herself, June automatically took his hand, stepping as close as possible to Alec to get away from everyone else in the room. She didn't trust them. Maybe it was the look in their eyes compared to Alec's, but maybe it was the fact that they gave her the vibe that they didn't care what happened to her, while Alec was already acting protective over her.

When they entered his room, June was struck by how extravagant it was. The room wasn't as large as the throne room, but it was pretty large, fitting several bookshelves, a table, a desk, plush armchairs, and large four poster king-sized bed. The whole room was done up in red and black, with little hints of gold around the room.

The sight of the bed made her blood run cold once more, and tears escaped her eyes, though she'd been trying so hard not to allow them to. "I-I don't want to do this." She sobbed, hugging herself. "I-I'm not ready to do this, Alec. P-Please, make them change their minds."

If Alec's heart hadn't stopped beating centuries ago, he could have sworn it had broken into pieces right then and there. His mate was crying, and he couldn't do anything to help her. "I can't change their minds." Alec replied. "Once they've set their minds on something, it's impossible to reason with them."

"So I'm just supposed to be okay with this!?" She demanded. "I'm supposed to be okay with being used to make some demon child because Aro thinks it's entertaining? God, Alec, it's not right!"

"I never said that it was right." Alec answered, the perfect picture of calm, while June was sobbing right before his eyes. "But it's what we have to do, unless you want to die."

June shook her head, whimpering as more tears rolled down her pale cheeks. "I don't want to die." She whispered. "But I don't want this."

"Well, you have to want this." Alec replied simply. "Because, like it or not, this is how things are going to work. You can either go down there and tell them that you don't want to and then get executed, or you can accept your fate and just deal with it."

There was silence after that, with the only sound being the faint whimpering of June as she continued to cry. Alec released a sigh, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Leave it to him to get the most emotional mate out there. He drew her into his arms, and at first, June tensed. But soon she relaxed into him, crying into his shirt.

And although the sound of her whimpering had made his heart clench uncomfortably, the feeling of her in his arms almost made up for it. It was then that he realized he'd do anything for her. He just had to make her as comfortable as possible, and to make her realize that this life wasn't as bad as she thought it was.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N**_: Thank you so so soo much for all of the super kind reviews! I'm so grateful that it's only been 2 chapters and I already got _8 reviews_! That's amazing and I'm so incredibly thankful for your continued support. Anyway, onto the story!

* * *

It had been three hours since she retreated to the far corner of the room, trying to focus on a book that she'd randomly selected from the shelf. Alec heaved a sigh, growing tired of waiting for her to just accept her fate and get this over with. He'd already accepted the undeniable chemistry between them, but she just apparently couldn't fathom it.

"You know what's a really weird phrase?" She mused from across the room.

Alec nearly snorted. She was too afraid to talk to the others, but while she was only with him, she was at ease, reading a book casually and talking to him as if they'd been friends for years. "What?" He asked, though he couldn't really care less. He just asked for her benefit.

"When people say that they can't wrap their heads around something." June replied, shutting the book and holding it down from her face so she could look at Alec. "I mean, really. Of _course _you can't. Unless you just got ran over by a car and it smushed your skull into a pancake, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be able to wrap your head around it anyway."

"Are you finished with stalling?" Alec demanded, a growl leaving his throat, trying to scare her into just getting the hell over to him.

June raised her pointer finger, tapping her plump lower lip as she thought about it. "Hm... No."

If his gaze could burn holes through things, she'd be burnt to a crisp by now. "When will you be done?"

"Please allow four to seven business days for me to be ready to have sex with a vampire who I barely even know." She replied in a monotone voice.

Ever since she'd gotten more comfortable with him, she'd been acting like this. While he much preferred a sociable June to a scared one, he couldn't exactly waste time. "We only have tonight to do this, or else Aro will execute you tomorrow morning and pick someone else."

Her blood ran cold. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I did." Alec answered, irritated. "But you were too busy rambling on and on about how there are more plastic flamingos in the world than there are real ones."

"But it's true!" She gasped, holding the book out to him. "I swear, it's in this book!"

"But it's irrelevant." The vampire replied with a roll of his eyes. "Look, I know that you don't want to do this. I can understand that. And I don't want to do this, because I don't want to be forcing you to do anything. I'd rather be taking my time with this, trust me. But we have to do it because I don't want to lose you." During the time that he was talking, he'd crossed the room to her. June's heart beat a mile a minute as Alec raised his hands and gently cupped her cheeks. "Okay?" He questioned softly, watching as her eyelids fluttered closed and she nodded, her lips parting slightly, invitingly.

At first, Alec neared her lips slowly, giving her time to turn away from him, but she never did so. She stayed still, her warm breath fanning out over his face. His lips pressed to hers gently, as if testing out the waters before he swam. When her arms wrapped around his neck, bringing him closer to her, he took control, kissing her harder, rougher, with far more passion.

Somewhere during the time, they'd lost their clothing, and then it was just skin on skin, scorching hot heat against an ice cold surface.

It was then that Alec realized that he'd undeniably and irrevocably fallen for Lily Carter.

When she opened her eyes, he was gone. Part of her hadn't expected him to stay, but part of her was still disappointed that he was gone. She laid there for a few moments, raising a hand to her lips. The were still swollen and tender to the touch, but it made her smile softly despite the irritation it caused her.

Climbing out of bed, she pulled on a nightgown just to cover herself before she busied herself with making the bed and cleaning up any discarded clothing left on the ground. There was a pillow nearby that was ripped in half, making her blink in surprise before she set it off to the side, not really knowing what to do with it.

She stood up, a wave of nasuea hitting her at once. June ran to the bathroom, throwing open the door and heaving as soon as she came into the bathroom. She heard someone enter and felt them holding her hair back, allowing her to empty the contents of her stomach into the toilet. Once she had finished, June shakily stood with Alec's help.

"Are you alright?" Alec questioned frantically, smoothing back her hair. "What happened?"

June shook her head, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "I'm fine. I feel alright now, Alec. Can I... Can I take a shower?"

"Go ahead." Alec replied, motioning to the shower that was on the far side of the room before he left the room, closing the door behind him. June heaved a sigh, turning on the shower before she stripped herself, sliding the door shut behind her once she'd entered.

It didn't take her too long to finish, and once she did, she carefully wrapped a plush towel (black, as usual) around herself before she walked cautiously into Alec's room. She expected to see him there but he wasn't present, however the doors were shut and locked, which probably meant that Alec had locked them for her to ensure that no one accidentally walked in.

On the bed, she found a black dress waiting for her. It was simple, going to her mid thigh and flaring out in almost a poof, with long sleeves that went to her wrists. There were matching shoes with it and she pulled those on, not caring enough to apply any makeup (although she didn't have any) or do anything with her hair. She unlocked the doors and opened them carefully, still cautious around the rest of the vampires, only to be met with Alec.

"Ready?" He questioned, holding his hand out for her to take. She took it immediately, feeling safer already.

"For what?" She asked, though she had a feeling about what it was.

"Aro has requested to speak with you so he can check whether or not it was a success." Alec replied. "He'll ask to take your hand. It's his way of seeing your memories and reading your thoughts. I'll be right there with you, so there's no need to be afraid. He won't harm you when I'm around."

The protective sound in his voice made her feel calm instantly and she nodded her head, staying close to Alec's side as they strode down the hallways of the castle.

They entered the throne room all too soon for June's case, and she could feel her heart beating a mile a minute. "Calm down." Alec muttered to her, "You'll be okay." He assured her softly, making her calm automatically.

"Ah, June!" Aro greeted in his usual sickly sweet tone, a grin on his face. She seemed more at ease, althoh her posture was still stiff, indicating that she was still afraid. But that was to be expected. "Come here, my dear." He held out his hand expectantly.

June spared a glance at Alec, who nodded his head as if to tell her to go forward. She gulped, reluctantly releasing his hand, immediately feeling her stomach churn without the security of him near her. She held her head up high, trying to look confident, though she was feeling anything but that. She walked forward, keeping an even, confident stride, stopping before Aro and putting her hand in his quickly.

He sighed and closed his eyes, putting his other hand over hers, seeing her memories flash through his eyes. When he finished, he released her hand, his eyes opening and his lips spreading into a gleeful grin. "She's with child! And a boy as well."

So that's why she was sick this morning. Her hand went to her stomach, holding a hand over her skin. It wasn't bulging yet, but why would it be? There were still nine months to go.

"Ah, we have to inform you of a few things, my dear." Aro spoke up, making her look at him. "I see the confusion on your face. Vampire children develop rapidly, which means that your child is already far more developed than most would be at this age. In fact, it will only take two weeks at the most for you to meet your son."

"Two weeks." She repeated, looking down at her stomach with wide, blue-grey eyes. TWo weeks until she met the little boy in her stomach. She already felt protective of him, although she had no idea what he was like.

Suddenly, a sharp pain in her stomach made her cry out and fall to her knees. Aro stood at once, looking to Demetri. "Get the blood. Alec, take her to your room. Demetri will meet you there with all of the necessary equipment." He saw how hesitant Alec looked, so he smiled. "Dear, dear Alec, we know about the mistakes that the Cullens made in the past and have prepared ourselves. Your mate will not die."

Alec scooped June up into his arms, going to his room using his enhanced speed. He laid her down on the bed, allowing her to grip his hand as the pain rippled through her, her screams echoing throughout the room.

"Demetri!" Alec roared, growing impatient. How long did he have to wait to take away his mate's pain? That reminded him. He released his power, robbing her of her senses, taking away the pain. After a moment she stopped screaming, laying there quietly, though stray tears rolled down her cheeks.

Demetri entered at that moment, a box filled with cups upon cups of blood. He took a few out, immediately forcing them down June's throat.

After ten cups of blood, Alec allowed his power to recede. June had stopped screaming, but her eyes were closed, indicating that she was sleeping. Alec heaved a sigh, looking tiredly at the cups of blood in the box as Demetri left the room.

Aro said that they were well equipped, but that didn't mean that June's life wasn't in danger, and he'd be damned if he let her die.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N**_: I'm so sorry about the mistake that I made last chapter! Her name is still June, but when I wrote it I was not only sick, but I was also working on yet another story. Again, I apologize for my mistake. Anyway, onto the next chapter~

* * *

There were days during the first week that she woke up from her sleep screaming her head off, clutching the sheets of the bed as if they were her only lifeline until Alec appeared by her side, ready to give her the blood that she needed so desperately. As time went on, she needed more and more blood to satisfy their son, and the Volturi had to readily supply her with the blood. It came to the point where they also used animal blood just to keep the baby from hurting June.

There were some days, though, that the baby didn't bother her. They were rare and far between, but they happened. When that happened, she and Alec laid side by side, his hand on her stomach, as if he couldn't believe that this was happening. He had a child and a mate, and no matter how much danger his mate was in, his heart still warmed at the prospect of having a family.

Suddenly, June gasped, making Alec look at her in question. She grinned at Alec. "Did you feel that?"

"Feel what?" Alec questioned, removing his hand from her stomach at once, afraid that he'd done something to hurt her or the baby.

June shook her head, taking his hand and putting it back on her stomach. "Come on, sweetheart." She cooed gently, and Alec slowly realized that she was talking to the baby that was growing inside of her stomach. "Do it again for Daddy."

Daddy. She'd called him Daddy. Another surge of warmth covered his unbeating heart, a small smile teasing the corners of his lips. It was then that he felt pressure on his hand, almost like a tiny foot... His eyes widened and he looked at June for an explanation, who grinned at him. "He just kicked. He likes when you're around, Alec. He doesn't do it for anyone else."

Alec smiled a genuine smile this time, one that was gentle and full of love as he gazed down at her growing stomach. His son was in there. His flesh and blood. Speaking of which, he looked up at June once more. "We need to talk about names."

"I actually was going to suggest that." June replied, pulling out a paper from the table beside the bed. "I narrowed it down to a few choices, ones that I thought were fitting for him."

"Alright." Alec replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Go on, then."

"Alcinder is the first one. It means strong." June began to list eagerly, showing Alec just how much thought she'd put into it. Her grin showed a dimple in the side on her left cheek, making Alec smile lightly. "Helier, which means joyful. Alexander, which means protector of men. Aiden means little fire, and finally, Macario, which means blessed. What do you think?"

"Which one's your favorite?" Alec shot back.

June shook her head, crossing her pale arms over her chest stubbornly. "I ask you first. I'd be happy with any of those names. I just want to know which one you like best."

Alec paused, thinking carefully about it. His son certainly was strong, perhaps joyful, probably a protecter, and definitely blessed. But he knew that there was only one that really described his son. "Aiden." Alec decided with an affirmative nod. "It suits him."

June's lips spread into a grin to reveal pearly white teeth. "I think so, too." She looked down at her stomach, cooing, "What do you think about that, Aiden?" She felt another kick and she laughed, looking over at Alec. "I think that our little fire agrees with you."

* * *

The glass shattered to the floor at Alice's feet, making Jasper come to her side immediatley. The whole scene was a complete Deja Vu, with Edward sitting at the piano along with Renesmee, although she'd grown from how she'd looked before. She looked to be about thirteen now.

"What's wrong, Alice?" Jasper questioned her gently. "What did you see?"

"The Volturi heard about you telling Charlie, Bella." Alice revealed, her eyes wide as fear rippled through her body.

"But we had to tell him." Jacob interjected, angry at the fact that the Volturi were going to threaten them once more. "When he saw Renesmee growing that fast, what were we supposed to tell him?"

"They don't know that, and in case you haven't noticed, they won't be listening to our reasoning." Rosalie spat.

"They're coming for us again." Alic continued. "But..."

"But what?" Edward prodded, wanting to know just how serious this situation was. He wanted to keep his family safe at all costs.

"In the vision, they had a child with them." Alice continued, looking nervous. "A hybrid child, just like Renesmee. He wasn't very old. He looked to be about Renesmee's age that she was when we first encountered the Volturi when the snow stuck to the ground."

"Aro made a hybrid child?" Edward questioned, standing up from the piano bench. "With who, and for what reason? There's no gain from him creating a hybrid child."

"It's not his child, Edward." Alice replied. "He didn't believe that the child would be gifted enough. He chose someone else."

"Alec." Bella breathed, fear running through her entire body as Alice nodded sadly.

"He picked Alec because he knew that the child would most likely be gifted." Alice replied. "I can't tell if he is, but if they brought him with them, then he must be gifted. There was also another woman walking with them, so I have to assume that she's Alec's mate."

"So they're coming for us, and they've got themselves a tougher army." Bella confirmed with a nod of her head. "They have Alec's child, who sure to be gifted because he's his child, and his mate. Knowing Aro, he wouldn't just keep her in the guard to please Alec. She has to have a gift of some kind."

"She was standing near the front, between Alec and Jane, with her son walking between her and Alec." Alice said, playing with the ring on her finger, trying to ease her nerves. "She has to have an extraordinary gift to be there, and so does her child. Aro wouldn't put them there unless they were incredibly gifted."

"So now we're not only looking at Aro and his entire guard," Jacob growled, "But we're also looking at the two creepy twins who can take away your senses and bring you to your knees in pain, as well as a kid who most likely has some terrible gift and his wife, who also has some terrifying gift."

"We're going to have to ask for our friends' help again, Carlisle." Esme spoke up.

"I'm not sure if they'll come." Carlisle sighed.

"Well, we know that Dracula One and Two will definitely come." Jacob supplied. "Benjamin seemed pretty geared up to help out as well. We could probably recruit him."

"The Denali will surely help us." Edward added. "As will the Irish coven."

"The Nomads, too." Jasper added. "They'll definitely come and fight with us."

"We can talk some sense into Aro." Alice decided with a nod of her head. "It won't be as easy as last time, but we need to try for Renesmee's sake."


	5. Chapter 5

Within the next few days that passed, June was in more and more pain. The Volturi required more and more blood for Aiden, which meant that a member of their guard was constantly out, searching for more blood. Heidi was required to ring in nearly triple as many people as she usually did, prompting her to work that much harder and for the Volturi to wait that much longer for their blood. There were even days that Alec skipped out on his meal to ensure that June got the proper amount of blood needed to not only satisfy their son, but to keep her alive aswell.

It was often that'd she'd awaken from her sleep, screaming for Alec. Sometimes he wasn't around, having duties to do for Volterra. Jane had taken to being there for June when Alec couldn't. It was odd for him. At first, Jane had seemed to hate June. Part of Alec believed that Jane still didn't particularly care for his mate. She just wanted to make sure that he was happy. Part of him also believed that Jane was fond of his child, though he knew that his sister would never admit that.

It happened on a Thursday afternoon. Alec was out with Demetri and Felix, going to execute a vampire nearby that hadn't complied to Aro's rules. Aro told Jane to stay, and Jane obliged, staying by June's side. The whole day, June had been sleeping peacefully, which surprised everyone.

Of course, things don't ever stay peaceful, nor do they ever stay easy.

She woke up screaming her head off, making Jane rise from the chair she'd been seated in, reading one of the books from Alec's extensive library. "What is it?" She demanded.

"Aiden! Aiden's coming!" June screamed in response, clutching the sheets of the bed as if they were her only lifeline. Jane nodded, leaving June and going to Aro, telling him about what was happening.

Aro, Marcus, and Caius were in the room immediately, Jane following shortly after them with the cart of blood and a few vials of venom. "Feed her the blood." He ordered Jane. Jane immediately complied, telling June to drink the blood. June refused to do so, saying she was in far too much pain, but Jane told her that it was necessary for Aiden's health. June then complied, drinking it quickly. Aro turned the door. "Heidi! Come in here."

Caius went to work, moving June from Alec's bed and taking her into a seperate room, one they'd kept strictly for the birth of Aiden. He laid her on the bed, Jane and Heidi following after. Caius then exited the room, closing the door behind him.

"Come on, June." Heidi coaxed her, trying to calm the poor girl. Chelsea entered then, looking at the two other females, standing at the edge of the room, waiting to see if she needed to help. "It's just a bit more, June. I can see his head." Heidi continued to coax, trying to be heard over June's screams.

Suddenly, the crying of a baby pierced through the silence of the room. "Now, Jane!" Heidi ordered. Jane grabbed the vial and immediately stabbed it into June's heart, emptying it in. She stabbed in a few more for good measure, just to make sure that she wouldn't die. Alec would have her head.

Heidi handed Aiden to Chelsea, who went to work with cleaning him. Once he was cleaned, she wrapped him in a blue blanket, sighing and turning to the other two girls, thanking the fact that she'd fed only an hour before. If she hadn't, she would have surely lost control.

"Now we have to wait." Chelsea said, handing the child to Jane, who had reached out for her nephew. "Come." She said, striding out of the room, Heidi and Jane following her. Jane looked back one final time before she closed the door, locking it with her key.

* * *

The throne room doors burst open a day later, Felix striding in cockily with Dimitri and Alec following behind him. "Ryder didn't prove to be a threat at all." He announced. "In fact, we took him down with no struggle at all..." He trailed off, seeing Jane holding a baby in her arms. "...Is that...?"

"Alec." Jane said, the baby in her arms turning his head to look at the man who she'd called. "Meet Aiden. Your son."

Alec was there in an instant, his red eyes wide at the sight of his son. His hair was dark, the same exact color that he had, but his eyes weren't his. No, those were the stormy grey eyes that reminded him so much of his mate. Alec looked at Jane. "Where is she?"

"You can't see her now, Alec." Aro spoke up, making Alec look at his master, a growl leaving his throat at Aro's words. "My dear Alec, please don't be angry. You'll be able to see your mate in two days. She's going through the transformation as we speak. Be thankful that she's alive."

Alec looked back at Jane, knowing that he couldn't argue against Aro, no matter how much he wanted to see June. He breathed a sigh, looking at his son, who reached his arms out to his father expectantly, clenching and unclenching his tiny hands. Alec complied, taking Aiden out of Jane's arms. He visibly brightened up once he was in his father's arms, looking content. Suddenly, he looked around, his head darting around, searching. He looked back at Alec, frowning. "Mama?" He questioned in his little voice.

"You'll see her soon." Alec replied, taking his son and leaving the throne room. When he returned to his room, he saw that the far side of his room had been set up with a crib, ready for Aiden to be laid down in. Alec turned away from the crib and laid his son down in his bed instead, laying beside him. Though Alec never slept, he knew that his son needed to.

Aiden yawned immediately, curling up into his father, reaching up and clutching the Volturi necklace that hung from Alec's neck in his little hands. Aiden released a content sigh, his grey eyes fluttering closed, his breathing becoming even.


	6. Chapter 6

Four days, twenty three hours, forty-seven minutes and twenty seconds. That was how long his mate was in that room, and yet she still continued to be in that room, her pain-filled screams echoing throughout the castle. Alec wanted to be there for her; he wanted to take away her pain by taking away her senses, but Aro said that it wouldn't be necessary. He wanted to see how June took being transformed without Alec's help. She was on her own for now.

Besides, Aiden needed him. He was growing fast, and already, he was taking his first steps, speaking in small, barely comprehensible English. He was learning fast. Alec was genuinely surprised by how intelligent his son was. Aro remarked with great pride that Aiden was even smarter than Renesmee was when she was born, which obviously made Alec very proud as well.

But as time went on, Aiden showed no signs of having a gift. Aro began to grow impatient, but Marcus pointed out that it had only been four days. He also pointed out that perhaps Aiden was waiting for his mother to use his powers.

Despite the reassurance from Marcus, Alec could see Aro's patience running thin. He needed to know that the time and effort he invested in Aiden was worth it, and he needed to know quickly. If he didn't, Aro would kill Aiden.

The mere thought of his son dying made Alec growl. Aiden looked up at him inquisitively, but after a moment he looked away, returning to his toy. It was a teddy bear, a small, simple, brown one, but it was important to Aiden. Jane had made the journey into a more populated area of Italy to get it.

She hadn't spoken a single word when she got it. Aiden had begun getting restless, trying to hold into pillows, but found that they were much too large to hold. He'd cry, reaching out for something that wasn't there. Alec had no idea what to do; how could he?

That same day, Jane just waltzed into his room, handed Aiden a small, brown bear, and then left without a word, closing the door behind her.

He didn't need any words, nor did he need to speak about it with Jane. It would just embarrass her and drive her further away from his family.

"Alec."

It was Felix that entered his room at that moment, Heidi stepping in behind him. The latter mentioned vampire stepped forward, taking Aiden into her arms. Alec looked at her sharply, confused and not trusting her all the way with his child, but Felix caught his attention again.

"She's awake, Alec." Felix spoke up, making Alec direct his red eyes onto the vampire again. "And she's doing something... Something extraordinary. Aro's far beyond pleased. Come here."

Alec followed Felix, trying not to break out into a run to get to June. She was awake. She was alive. She wasn't in pain anymore. Alec checked a clock on the wall; they were twenty minutes into the next day.

June had gone five full days through a transformation. Her heart had been so strong and had fought that venom so hard that it lasted two days longer than it should have.

When Felix opened the door, Alec wasn't really sure what to expect. Sure, he knew that it most likely had to do with June displaying some sort of gift, but he definitely hadn't expected to see what he saw when he walked in.

Everyone looked up when he entered; Caius, Marcus, Demetri, Jane, who were all standing around the bed. Aro was the last to look, seeing as he was blocking Alec's view and was standing with his back facing the door. Aro slowly turned to face Alec, grinning as he did so. "Come meet your mate, Alec." With a sweeping motion of his arm, Aro stepped to the side, slowly revealing June to Alec.

He'd never seen anything more beautiful in his life.

June sat up in the bed, dressed in a fine, black, short-sleeved dress that Heidi most likely had picked out for her. The dress clung to her curves just right, ending at about mid-thigh. It was accompanied by heels of the same color. A Volturi necklace hung from her neck, he noticed, and it contrasted sharply with her now extremely pale skin. She gazed around the room wtih red eyes, a small smile forming on her red tinted lips. Her hair was a bit darker than it had been before, cascading in gentle waves to her waist.

June was still looking around in wonder, her eyes jumping from one object to the next, probably admiring how clear it was. Although Alec didn't remember much about his time right after he was transformed, he did remember how much clearer everything got, and how much all of his senses had improved upon becoming a vampire. He knew that his mate had to be going through the same thing.

The thing that really caught his attention, though, was what seemed to be around her. There was something that was nearly invisible around her. If it hadn't been for his enhanced sight as a vampire, he wouldn't have seen it, but as a vampire, he was able to see the slight colors showing, almost looking like a bubble of some sort, though it was barely there. He stepped forward, wanting to get to her, but Aro grabbed his arm to stop him.

"The forcefield will shock you if you get any closer." Aro explained, making Alec step back, his eyes wide . Aro looked beyond pleased. "She has a gift, Alec. An extraordinary one at that. She's an indesposable part of the Volturi now."

To say that he was relieved would be an understatement. If he still needed to breathe, he would have let out a huge gush of air at that moment. She was going to stay with them. She was going to be with him and she wouldn't be killed.

Suddenly, she directed those scarlett colored eyes on his, her smile widening. In a split second, she was across the room and in front of him, the bed being pushed against the wall from the force of her getting up so suddenly. She cupped his cheeks in her hands and immediately kissed him, trying her hardest to be gentle with him. Alec assumed that she'd been told about her new strength as a newborn by the restraint she was currently showing.

Although he enjoyed the attention June was currently showing him, it was in poor taste to kiss your mate in front of your master and your sister. He pulled back, and when he saw the disappointed look on her face, he wrapped an arm around her waist. Seemingly satisfied for the moment, June settled in to his side.

"Your mate shows amazing restraint as a newborn." Aro explained with a smile. "Now, about that gift."

"Is it like Bella's shield then?" Felix questioned, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. "You know, expect with more of a shield aspect to it than hers."

"No, not really." Aro still looked beyond pleased with this discovery. "She can't block out people, meaning that Edward could still read her mind if he wanted to, and I could still see her thoughts if I touched her. But she can prevent people from coming anywhere near her because of her forcefield."

"So we have a shield, but it's more of a physical shield than a mental shield." Demetri concluded.

"Exactly!" Aro clapped once, smiling gleefully. "Which is a splendid addition to our team. Oh, June, I'm so glad that you're officially a part of the family."

June frowned at the word 'family,' looking around wildly before looking up at Alec, who looked down at her, puzzled as to why she was acting like this. "Aiden. Where is he? Is he okay?"

"Your son is fine." Heidi walked into the room just then, Aiden in her arms. The little boy seemed to instantly recognize his mother.

"Mommy!" He cried out, his cute, little face contorting, a telltale sign that he was about to cry if he didn't get his mother in time. He reached out, clenching and unclenching his tiny hands as if it would help get his mother over to him quicker.

June left Alec's side, going to Heidi in an instant and taking her son into her arms. She acted on instinct alone, seeing as she never had a younger brother or sister, and she'd never really held babies before in her life.

With Aiden, though, it was as natural and simple as breathing was. She held him comfortably in her arms, smiling down at him. "It's alright, sweetheart. Mommy's here now. Mommy won't ever leave you again."

Seemingly content with this promise, Aiden nestled his head in the crook in her neck, closing his eyes and releasing a small sigh. His thumb automatically went into his mouth, and in a moment, he was asleep.

"Aiden hasn't been displaying any gifts." Aro explained, making June tense and look at him.

"Well, let's see yours another time, princess." Felix spoke up, grinning at June, obviously challenging her. "Let's see if the newborn can actually control hers."

June glared at him, immedaitely trying to do her gift, but it didn't work. She frowned, trying again, only to fail. "It's not working. Something's blocking my power."

"Me." Aiden suddenly spoke up, not looking up, keeping his eyes closed. "I did. I want sleep."

"Aiden, sweetheart." June cooed softly. "What do you mean?"

"I can make the powers go away." He explained, opening his eyes slightly. "Whenever I want them gone, they go bye bye."

"So he is gifted." Heidi concluded.

"Let me see." Aro spoke up, immediatley coming over to Aiden. Aiden looked up at Aro and sighed, annoyed, before putting his smaller hand in Aro's. Aro closed his eyes and after a moment, he looked up, his eyes wide, dropping Aiden's hand. "He's right."

"So is _he _a mental shield?" Felix questioned.

"No, it wouldn't work like that." Aro quickly dismissed it. "I think he merely has the power to turn other peoples' gifts on or off. Granted, he can only do one at a time, but he has the power to do so."

"He'd be a valuable assett against the Cullens, especially if he's able to turn off Bella's shield." Demetri mentioned.

"An assett?" Growled June, hugging Aiden closer to her protectively. Alec was immediately by her side, a hand on her shoulder as he tried to calm her down. "My son isn't even fully grown yet and you're talking about using him as an assett to your army?"

"Now, June, let's not start a fight that you can't win." Demetri smirked.

June growled, handing Aiden off to Alec. Alec took their son wordlessly, though he gave Demetri a look that said it all; if you hurt her, I'll kill you.

"Come on, princess. What do you got?" He demanded, grinning.

June growled at the bigger vampire, cracking her knuckles. She ran at Demetri, making him think that she wasn't going to use her power, before she turned it on at the last second, sending a shock through Demetri that sent him flying out the door and into a wall. He fell to the ground, groaning in pain.

"Got any more bright ideas, Demetri?" June asked cockily, smirking as she returned to Alec's side.

"Cocky little newborn." Demetri grumbled as he stood up, dusting his clothing off.

"What was that, Demetri?"

"Uh, nothing, June."

"That's what I thought."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you so so so much for all of the kind reviews! I love hearing from you guys. Without further ado, here's the next chapter!**

* * *

The Cullens gathered in their expensive, well decorated family room, the only two not in the room yet being Jasper and Alice. An older looking Renesmee stood beside Jacob, who was currently looking down at her, sensing her apprehension. Family meetings like this weren't usually called unless there was something very important to discuss. Based on the look on her father's face, it definitely wasn't something positive.

It was then that Alice and Jasper entered the room, Jasper's large hand enclosed around Alice's smaller one, trying to calm her down with his gift. She gazed around the room at each of her family members, knowing full well that Edward knew already. "We won't be fighting the Volturi."

"What do you mean by that?" Jacob was the first to speak up, having heard about Alice's vision from several days before. "You said that they were coming for us. What, so we're just not going to fight now?"

"Jacob." It was the warning tone in Edward's voice that stopped the shapeshifter in the middle of his rant. Jacob looked over at Edward, who sent him a look. "Let Alice finish what she has to say before you jump to any conclusions."

Jacob looked angry and hesitant, but after Renesmee set a gentle hand on his arm, he immediately calmed down, releasing a sigh.

Alice then took this as a sign to continue. "The Romanians are coming after them. They've assembled an army; newborns, nomads, but no major covens. They're trying to take down the Volturi to repay them for what they did to them centures before."

"So why do we care?" Emmett questioned next, turning the attention in the room on him. "Why do we even get involved?"

"The Volturi are coming here for help." Alice replied. "They're going to kill some of their members. Nameless members of the guard, and Renata, to name a few."

"Renata?" Rosalie repeated. Alice nodded.

Bella furrowed her brow. "But isn't Renata a physical shield? How could they even touch her?"

"The child." Edward replied. "The child is Alec's. He was born with a gift to shut off others' gifts."

"In the midst of the fight, he'll get scared. He'll target Renata because she's the one who's causing him the most distress." Alice continued. "And, because of this, she'll be vulnerable. More importantly, she'll be killed."

"So they'll want us to protect them?" Emmett questioned. Alice nodded. "And why should we?"

"Because the Romanians will kill us as well for not standing with them the first time, when we had the Volturi on the run." Edward replied. "They'll get in over their heads, vulnerable, more importantly, they'll get reckless. We'll pay the price for their recklessness."

"So we prepare for the Volturi to arrive then." Carlisle concluded with an air of finality.

* * *

"Very good, Aiden." I cheered for him, smiling fondly at the little boy. He grinned at me, happy to have his mother's approval, before he turned back to playing with his toys.

I stood up then, dusting off the dirt from my black dress as I did, turning to talk to Amycus, who had been silently watching Aiden and I for a few minutes now. I smiled at him, but he didn't smile back. Alec rarely smiled. The only time I saw even a bit of a smile on his face was when he held Aiden, but even then it was barely detectable. I didn't need him to smile, though. How he felt was always in his eyes, and you could see it if you knew how to look.

"He's maturing so quickly." I commented, watching Aiden for a moment before looking back at Amycus. "He's already incredibly intelligent."

"Aro said that even Renesmee didn't display this growth in this quick of time." Alec commented, a certain fondness in his ruby red eyes that I didn't miss. "He thinks that Aiden's quite remarkable."

"As if we didn't already know that." I replied with a playful roll of my eyes. "All he ever talks about nowadays is Aiden's gift and what it can be used for."

Alec frowned, and before I could comment, a scream was heard from the throne room. I threw a look at Alec, but he shook his head. "Grab Aiden." Was all he said. I nodded, grabbing my son and holding him tight, whispering words to calm him as Alec took my free hand. We were in the throne room in seconds, and as soon as he threw open the doors, I knew that something was wrong.

A good number of the members of the guards were killed. Though I didn't know their names, they were still important to us, very much so, in fact. I looked up, immediately spotting newborn vampires. Reckless, yes, but very strong, along with the Romanians.

A vampire spotted us and rushed at us, but I threw up my shield immediately, stopping him in his path and throwing him back into a wall. Alec looked around and motioned for me to follow, and I so, trying to spot our leaders in the midst of all the chaos.

We spotted them a few minutes later. Unfortunately, Aiden did as well. He looked at Renata, and at that moment, I felt him tense. He let out a wail and suddenly, Aro's eyes widened, as did Renata's. Aro moved immediately and someone killed Renata, ripping her head and arms off.

"Get Aiden out of here." Alec commanded me.

"But, Alec," I protested, but he threw me a look.

I shook my head, turning and running through, keeping my shield up and cooing words to Aiden to try and calm him. His head was buried in the crook of my neck, his sobs filling me with pain as his tears hit my skin. I spotted Jane, who was having trouble taking down all of those vampires by herself.

I ran to her, my shield down. I pushed her behind me and threw my shield up, knocking back the vampires that had tried pouncing on her. I turned to face her, and she gave me a look that looked like gratitude, though it was wiped away a moment after I saw it.

"Alec told me to leave." I told her.

"Then leave." She spat. "You need to get out of here. Take Alec with you."

"But-"

"Go." She commanded.

"Jane." I whispered, looking at her, reaching out to her, but she shrugged my hand off. "You need to come with us."

Jane frowned, looking over at Aro, but a tiny voice was what changed her mind.

"Janey." Aiden whined, holding his hands out to her. Jane looked at me, and I nodded. She tried to look annoyed and took Aiden in her arms, nodding at me once.

I turned and ran with her, trying to find Alec in the midst of the battle. It was clear that we were losing. Alec's mist could only do so much to fight off the army, and Jane's power could only be used on one person at a time. We were surprise attacked. But it wasn't enough. Someone had to be gifted, and the gift had to be something terrible for us to be fleeing like this.

"Alec!" I grabbed his hand, tugging him into range so I could throw the shield back up around us. "We're all leaving, Alec. Now."

"But-"

"Now." I said firmly. "Aiden needs his father, and I'm not having you die because of him."

Alec sighed, nodding his head, knowing that I was right. I nodded towards Jane and we all ran out of there, the shield helping immensely to get us out safe and sound. We ran through the hidden areas of Volterra, and when the population of humans got too dense, we settled on throwing our hoods up and walking at a brisk pace.

"Where are we going to go?" I questioned the two. Sure, I'd organized that all of us would leave together, but I didn't have a plan beyond that. I just didn't want them to die. They were family, even if Jane hated me.

Alec gave Jane a look, and her nose scrunched up immediately as she growled. "No." She hissed.

"But it's the only way." Alec protested.

"I said, _no_." She snapped.

"What is it?" I questioned, making them both look over at me.

"It's the only way we can stay safe." Alec replied, his gaze finally leaving my own as he looked at his sister.

Jane sighed, crossing her arms. "Fine. But after all this is over, we're leaving. I'm not looking to get cuddly and cozy with the Cullens."

"The Cullens?" I repeated. "Aren't they..."

"Yes." Alec replied, cutting me off. "They're the ones with Renesmee."

"So what do they have to do with anything?"

"We need their help to survive, as much as it pains me to say it." Jane spat, sounding venomous. Even though the anger wasn't directed at me, it still sent shivers down my spine. "So we're going to Forks."


End file.
